Camera Diary

Black leopards at Shayamanzi

20 May 2014

On 8 April 2014 the first two black leopards are released at Shayamanzi. The beautiful male and female is the start of a special chapter in Shayamanzi´s leopard conservation history. I stare, in wonder, at the two beautiful leopards. Both are still very young. The male is already much larger than the female. In direct sunlight the characteristic rosette spots of the ordinary leopard can clearly be seen. It actually looks as if they are ordinary leopards covered with transparent, black, shiny, overalls. It feels strange, almost surreal to stare into the ice-blue eyes of a black leopard. The blue eyes deepen the mystery surrounding these beautiful cats. What has become of the black leopard? Why did they just completely disappear? It is as if those blue eyes are begging for someone to help them gain back their place in nature.